The gambling market is getting closer and closer to being legalized in Brazil. With the agenda in the Chamber of Deputies and a large number of supporters, it can be said that the release is just a matter of time.
In addition, the benefits that betting modalities can generate are increasingly visible, as some countries in Europe and North America constantly show.
Reinaldo Polito, in his column on UOL Economia, talked about how close this release is, and what the impacts of gambling in the country might be.
Check out the article about the release of betting games in full below
Of the misfortunes where honor and duty are wrecked, in all social classes, there is no more frequent origin than gambling. Rui Barbosa
Did you know that Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy, two of the most important exponents of world literature, were addicted to gambling?
Both masterfully conveyed to the characters in their works the terrible experience of being obsessed with gambling. Dostoevsky in “The Gambler”, and Tolstoy in “War and Peace”.
The roulette is almost spinning
This theme is today one of the most important in the lives of Brazilians. The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), said that the project that legalizes gambling could be voted on in the coming days. According to some analysts, Lira sought to remove some resistance from the deputies.
For example, it put on the agenda the MP that grants real estate benefits to those who belong to public security, known as the bullet bench. He also put on the table the law that makes the use of pesticides more flexible, a kind of ace out of his sleeve, since it had been dormant in the Chamber’s drawers for 20 years.
Bolsonaro is against
Lira’s willingness to legalize gambling is such that he wants to take advantage of remote voting, as this will ease the objections of those who are against the project’s approval, especially the evangelical bench. President Jair Bolsonaro himself has already spoken out against the return of this activity. He said he will veto the project.
Gambling has always been resisted by religious people. It is said that the casinos were closed by President Eurico Gaspar Dutra in 1946 under the influence of his wife, Dona Carmela. Just to give you an idea, she was blessed even in her name, everyone called her Dona Santinha. At that time there was, in fact, a conjunction of factors.
Religion and politics
Dona Santinha was extremely religious and therefore hated gambling. At the same time, Justice Minister Carlos Luz, who had his eye on the elections for the government of Minas Gerais, imagining strong support from the electorate, entered the struggle to convince the president. Thus, on April 30, 1946, decree-law 9215 put an end to gambling in Brazil. And the minister made the wrong bet, as he was not elected.
The thud was big. As the closing decree came into force on the date of its publication, there was no time for the market to prepare. Thousands of Brazilians, including artists, cooks, and attendants lost their jobs. One of the most effervescent activities in the country ended there.
Ciro Batelli
One of the biggest advocates of the return of gambling in Brazil was Ciro Batelli. His experience was impressive. He was VP of the powerful international organization Caesars and considered one of the leading authorities on casinos worldwide. I had the opportunity to have lunch with him several times at the Grafite advertising agency, owned by dear friend Oswaldo Marquesi. Batelli knew the history of gambling in Brazil like the back of his hand.
He told me that, at its heyday, there were 70 casinos in Brazil. These houses were not restricted to gambling. They housed all kinds of entertainment. They had excellent restaurants, dance halls and great musicals. As advertising of the games was not allowed, the solution found to publicize the green cloth was to advertise the great shows.
What’s more, when the taxi driver took a customer, the race was on behalf of whoever greeted the player, who received a chip on arrival to start his bets. In short, everything to make people feel attracted and motivated to attend.
Against and in favor
There are plenty of pros and cons for the return of gambling in Brazil. I had a student, manager of a famous bingo in São Paulo, who was saddened by the memory of regulars who lost everything they had in the game. They never managed to recover.
The return of casinos will make people who become addicted, in addition to running the risk of losing all their possessions, will also destroy their families and distance themselves from friends. I witnessed many cases when games were relatively released in hotels in Serra Negra. Individuals who were always happy and well-to-do, because of gambling debts, had to move away from those who were their dear friends.
On the other hand, there are those who defend the return of gambling as a source of work and income for the population. The late Ciro Batelli told me that, given the size of the Brazilian population, more than 300,000 direct and indirect jobs could be created. It would be possible to move tourism and make Brazilians who travel today to place their bets outside the country leave their money within our economy.
And you, are you against or in favor?
